Repositório RCAAP

This paper deals with the schooling structure of Brazilian-sardine, Sardinella brasiliensis (Steindachner, 1879), in coastal waters of Rio de Janeiro State (Brazil). Samples were obtained from schools caught by commercial fishery in the area of Angra dos Reis (23º-24ºS, 44º-45ºW), from autumn/1999 to summer/2000, comprising 2,278 fishes. In average, males had total lengths and weights lower than those of females, with major differences in weights. Seasonal fluctuations of average total weights are associated with the annual reproduction cycle and condition factor, mainly in females. Sex-ratio was around 1:1, except in winter, when females were in majority. Mature males and females were found all along the year, with a peak in the spring-summer, showing a long reproduction period of successive spawning of reproducers in a same school, since individual spawning is complete. Total lengths when 50% of fishes are mature differ between males (18.2 cm) and females (19.2 cm). The schools can be considered as spawning schools, as they were found in a spawning ground, and consisted almost exclusively of adults, with a long annual reproduction period.

The genus Cyclopeplus Thomson, 1860 is revised. New synonyms proposed: C. violaceus Lane, 1957 = C. peruvianas Tippmann, 1939 and C. germaini Gounelle, 1906 = C. lacordairei Thomson, 1868. The five species of Cyclopeplus are keyed, redescribed and illustrated.

The genus Gounellea Lane, 1964 is revised and new synonyms proposed, G. zikani (Melzer, 1932) = G. Melzeri (Franz, 1935) = G. Franzae Lane, 1970 = G. bruchi (Gounelle, 1906). The species of Gounellea are keyed, redescribed and illustrated.

A survey of chiropteran fauna was conducted during the period from March 1994 to May 1998 in Pedra Branca State Park, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro State. A total of 681 specimens of 24 species were recorded: Chrotopterus auritus (Peters, 1856); Micronycteris megalotis (Gray, 1842); Micronycteris minuta (Gervais, 1856); Mimmon bennettii (Gray, 1838); Phyllostomus hastatus (Pallas, 1767); Tonatia bidens (Von Spix, 1823); Lonchophylla bokermanni Sazima, Vizotto & Taddei, 1978; Lonchophylla mordax Thomas, 1903; Anoura caudifera (E. Geoffroy, 1818); Glosso-phaga soricina (Pallas, 1766); Carollia perspicillata (Linnaeus, 1758); Artibeus fimbriatus Gray, 1838; Artibeus lituratus (Olfers, 1818); Artibeus obscuras Schinz, 1821; Chiroderma doriae Thomas, 1891; Platyrrhinus lineatus (E. Geoffroy, 1810); Platyrrhinus recifinus (Thomas, 1901); Sturnira lilium (E. Geoffroy, 1810); Vampyressa pusilla (Wagner, 1843); Desmodus rotundus (E. Geoffroy, 1810); Diphylla ecaudata Von Spix, 1823; Eptesicus brasiliensis (DesMarest, 1819); Myotis nigricans (Schinz, 1821) and Molossus molossus (Palas, 1766). One external (forearm length) and 13 cranial meansurements were studied for 23 species. The meansurements of male and female specimens were treated separately. Comments about some taxonomic respects for some species studied are also included.

Dolops carvalhoi Lemos de Castro, 1949 was found infesting fish in a fish culture station located in highway AM-010 Manaus-ltacoatiara in the State of Amazonas. Egg laying of D. carvalhoi was studied. Hatching started after 16 days in a temperature span of 26 to 28ºC. Eggs were laid in clusters on hard substrata and covered by a gelatinous material. The number of eggs was 16 to 392 eggs by laying. In the postembryonic development the larvae were hatched from the egg as juveniles (epimorphic development), very similar to the adult shape.

The following new species are presented: Anthodioctes rosanae sp. nov. and Anthodioctes ayalai sp. nov. from México and Anthodioctes misiutae sp. nov. from Brazil. The male of Moureanthidium bahianum Urban, 1995 and the female of Ananthidium dilmae Urban, 1990 are described by the first time. Notes and new occurrences of Anthodioctes lunatus (Smith, 1854) are given.

Centris (Ptilocentris) danunciae sp. nov. (Peru, Huanta) and Centris (Melacentris) bitaeniata sp. nov. (Peru, Iquitos) are described. Some taxonomic notes are also given for Centris (Melacentris) dorsata Lepeletier, 1841 (= Centris ehrhardti Schrottky, 1902, syn. nov. = Centris dorsata var. maculosa Friese, 1924, syn. nov.) and Centris (Melacentris) collaris Lepeletier, 1841 (= Centris pocograndensis Schrottky, 1902, syn. nov.), species forgotten since their description.

The objective of this work has to get knowledge about the reproductive aspect of the tree crab Aratus pisonii (H. Milne Edwards, 1837). The sampling were made monthly from April, 2000 to April, 2001, in the Itacurucá's mangrove (22º54'S and 43º33'W), Rio de Janeiro. The crabs were collected handly, using an effort of 50 minutes with three collectors. In laboratory, the specimens were separated by sex and had measured the carapace width and lenght. The ovigerous females were separated and the mass of eggs was removed for a mensurament of size and count of eggs. Afterwards, the animals were conservad in 70% alcohol. A total of 783 individuals were caught among 59% males and 41% females among these 8% were ovigerous. The ovigerous females were found almost during the whole year, except in the winter showing major plenty on February and March, demonstrating the reproductive period. The ovigerous females presented size between 14.0 and 23.6 mm of carapace width and the average fecundity estimated to the specie was 9081 ± 3684 eggs. The mean size of the eggs was 0.27 mm varied from 0.24 to 0.29 mm and the size at onset of egg production was verified from 13.1 to 15.0 mm of the carapace width.

This work aims to determinate the spatial distribution of two sympatric freshwater shrimp species, Potimirim glabra (Kingsley, 1878) and Potimirim potimirim (Müller, 1881) in Sahy River, municipality of Mangaratiba. The populations were collected from September, 1997 to February, 1999. The animals were collected monthly by sieving the marginal vegetation, on rocky surface and among litter on river bottom. The animals were sorted sexed. Their carapace length measured and total length measured. A total of 4,889 animals were collected in Sahy River: 3,281 P. glabra and 1,608 P. potimirim. The spatial distribution of P. glabra and P. potimirim showed an environmental partition. Potimirim glabra occurred in abundance at the farthest stations from the beach, wilst and P. potimirim, at the nearest stations from the sea.

Two new species of Psychodidae, Brunettia soteropolitana sp. nov. and Brunettia itabunensis sp. nov. from Bahia, northeast of Brazil are described.

The Parsimony Analysis of Endemicity (PAE) consists in an important tool of the historical biogeography which has the purpose of detecting distribution patterns of organisms and the relationships among areas of endemism. Insect distribution data included in Membracidae-Hoplophorionini occurring in the American Continent were used in the present research in order to establish the relationships among eight predetermined areas of endemism which are: 1) Mexico, 2) Greater Antilles, 3) Central America, 4) North Andes, 5) Central Andes, 6) South Andes, 7) Amazon, e 8) South East Brazil. The data matrix was based on the presence (coded as 1) and abscence (0) of taxa in the areas. The analysis was performed with the use of computer program Hennig86 (Farris 1988) applying the comands ie (implicit enumeration), and xs w (successive weighting). Resulted in the cladogram (A2,((A6,(A1 ,(A3,(A4,A5)))),(A7,A8))) with 236 steps, consistency index = 0.94 and retention index = 0.86. Areas 7 and 8 follow a subtropical and tropical vegetation pattern made up respectively by pluvial forests and groves. The remaining areas (except 2) agree with mountainous vegetation of the Andes pattern and groves throughout the extention.

Riggia acuticaudata sp. nov. is described on the basis of 10 female specimens recovered from the body cavity of the freshwater catfish, Ancistrus sp. The fish were caught in a stream called the Corrego Piraputanga, a tributary of the Paraguai River. The new species differs from the others in the genus by being smaller and less convex and by having a pleotelson that tapers abruptly rather than being the same width throughout. Also, the pereopods and dactyls are much smaller, the maxillule has two terminal and three subterminal spines and the first two pleopods are elongate and acute. Additionally, R. acuticaudata sp. nov. is from a different Order of fish host and a new geographic area.

The remaining portion of the Atlantic Forest within the State of Sao Paulo is highly fragmented and most of the remainders are wrapped up in an essentially agricultural mosaic. This study aims at the local surveying of non-volant mammals, including their distribution and relative abundance within the human-altered environments of campus "Luiz de Queiroz", University of Sao Paulo, Piracicaba, São Paulo State, Brazil, an urbanized area bordered by two highways and the Piracicaba River. The landscape of the study area is characterized by a mosaic of small forest fragments surrounded by pastures, agriculture, and planted forests. Small mammals were captured from February to October, 2001, with an effort of 7056 day-traps, sampling the most representative environments of the campus: planted Eucalyptus (L'Héritier) and Pinus (Shaw) forests, native forest fragment, meadow, rubber tree (Hevea sp.) plantation, agriculture and pasture area. Occurrence of medium and large frame mammals was recorded daily (morning and afternoon) from November of 2000 to October of 2001 along a trail set up to merge the studied environments. Sixteen species of non-volant mammals were recorded, ten of medium or big body-size, and six of small body-size. Capybara (Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris (Linnaeus, 1766)) and coati (Nasua nasua (Linnaeus, 1766)) were the most abundant species.

Imposex, the development of male sex organs on the female, is registered and described for Olivancillaria vesica vesica (Gmelin, 1791) at Restinga da Marambaia beach, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil.

This paper reports the occurrence of diapause in Tenuipalponychus tabebuiae Aguilar, Flechtmann & Ochoa, 1991, for the first time in tropical region, and describes the morphological differences between the diapausing and no-diapausing females.

Vestistiloides gen. nov. is described for C. uncicornis Fowler, 1895, the type species, Ceresa concinna Fowler, 1895, C. nigra Goding, 1928, C. nigrovittata Fowler, 1895, C. nigricornis Fowler, 1895, C. nitidalis Buckton, 1905, C. sallei Stål, 1864, C. variabilis Fowler, 1895 and Vestistilus distinctus Andrade, 1989.

Zeraikia novafriburguensis gen. nov., sp. nov. are described. A key for New World genera of Peiratinae is given.

The species Ophidascaris durissus sp. nov. is proposed with basis on specimens recovered from the rattlesnake Crotalus durissus L., 1758 (type host) captured in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil (type locality). By the lack of interlabia, the new species can be compared only to O. natricis Yamaguti, 1935 from Japan and O. freitasi Hoa & Lien, 1970, from Vietnam. However, O. durissus sp. nov. differs from O. natricis mainly by the absence of internal lip papillae, location of the vulvar aperture and length of the spicules; from O. freitasi mostly by the greater number of pre-cloacal and distribution of post-cloacal papillae.

Aspects of the behavior of the theraphosid spider Pachistopelma rufonigrum, in two species of tank bromeliads in an area with white sands in the Serra de Itabaiana, Sergipe, Brazil, are described. Observations on habitat, microhabitat, foraging, ecdysis and reproduction, were made. Our data suggested that P. rufonigrum inhabits only these species of bromeliads, since all stages of the life cycle were observed in the plant. The relationships degrees between P. rufonigrum and the species of studied tank bromeliads are discussed.

Eight cicada species were collected in an urban area of Brasília (Brazil). Their nymphal casts were characterized and a dichotomous key was prepared to identify cicada species.